HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
By Andy Smith and Carrie Alison
2006.12
The entire journalistic genre of “Best of” lists is ubiquitous yet ambiguous and ridiculous at best. Who cares what records you wasted money buying or time downloading and actually loving this year?
But we do care—not so much about that bureaucratic labyrinth called the 'music industry' but about music itself. Admittedly, we sometimes care more about our always growing record collections than our daily caloric intake or job security. That’s just fine with us.
Compiling a ‘Best Of 2006’ list required many things: collecting receipts of records purchased since January 1st, 2006; repeated, careful, and unscientific scans of the general music discussion threads in the Interference.com message boards; surveys of the major rock magazines and critics and their end-of-the-year catalogs; late-night listening parties and plenary sessions with the spirit of Lester Bangs.
Understanding that list-mania can only go so far in ritually marking and mentioning the cultural magic embedded in the passing of the calendar year, we as staff writers and forum users at Interference.com do hereby submit our top 15 CDs of 2006 (in no particular order, of course). To help convey the mood of each record, we've noted our reactions to each of the best records—either written earlier when the discs came out, or this week, looking back on them. In some cases, we've also added quotes from a variety of critics to show how they responded to the records when they were released. Our greatest hope is that you will do with this what we on the staff do with similar lists—get inspired to listen to some new music.
Muse – “Black Holes and Revelations”
Andy says: Mix Radiohead with acid-prog and anti-war apocalypse lyrics inspired by reading David Icke conspiracy theory, and you begin to approximate the epic, awesome, seductive oddness that is Muse.
Carrie says: “Knights of Cydonia.” Enough said. My Chemical Romance wasn’t the only band to look to Queen for melodic influence this year with beguiling results.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Stadium Arcadium”
Andy says: Since the springtime release of “Stadium Arcadium,” Interference.com forum users went crazy for this fiercely rocking and dependably funky double album. One frequent poster announced early, “Yeah. I'm almost ready to declare it 'Album of the Year.'”
The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldiers”
Carrie says: These guys would be satisfied enough to play anywhere, be it a back porch in rural Kansas, a dingy subway station, or in the middle of Union Square. I sensed not a shred or hint of ego emanating from the hallowed stage of Roseland Ballroom (especially from rock superstar Jack White), only confidence, and The Raconteurs certainly have every right to feel confident these days. Power chord and '70s rock-pillaging criticism be damned—the Raconteurs have made this longtime White Stripes admirer a believer out of me.
Thom Yorke – “The Eraser”
Andy says: It sounds like Radiohead—except it's easier to get into the lyrics, as one friend of mine aptly observed. The whole dark, rainy, movie soundtrack of a record reels in and stakes out a sad hypnosis on your soul. But the revelations I keep returning to are so stuck in one song: “Atoms for Peace.” When Yorke sings, “No more talk about the old days /It's time for something great,” we desperately want to believe—no matter how hard it is to actually believe. So, with Thom, we pry and pray and “Peel all of your layers off” because we “want to eat your artichoke heart.”
The Decemberists – “The Crane Wife”
Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork says: “Winsomely balancing frivolity and gravity, the Decemberists assemble an oddball menagerie of the usual rogues and rascals, soldiers and criminals, lovers and baby butchers-- but they've got a lot more tricks up their sleeves than previous albums had hinted. “The Crane Wife” employs an impressive variety of styles and sounds to tell [Colin] Meloy's imaginative stories.”
The Killers – “Sam's Town”
Andy says: If we temporarily forget the odd facial hair and Anton Corbijn photos, the disc itself has musical and poetic depth, anchored in an intentionally mystical, yet earthy, flavor. Sure, the record has an intricate and over-produced sense of its own power, but not a throwaway track among the 12, and several simmer with stunning similes and sonic soul. With so many soothing hooks, addictive anthems and hypnotic hymns, the band deserves better than to have its sophomore sojourn savaged because of the young singer's loose and boastful tongue.
TV on the Radio – “Return to Cookie Mountain”
Andy says: SPIN calls it the best record of the waning year. It's impossible to describe this transcendent experiment—which is exactly why critics trade metaphors like contraband and approach such Blake-ian heights to describe it. People keep referring to TV on the Radio (TVOTR) as a collective as much as a band—in the old-school sense that the ensemble sees the art and the sound and the life as a greater cause, one that smashes genres, collapses assumptions, and gets close to utter, anarchic epiphany.
Gnarls Barkley – “St. Elsewhere”
Andy says: For what's essentially a pop record, this one has breadth and depth to burn. The Violent Femmes cover (“Gone Daddy Gone”) is defiantly delicious to those of us turning 40 who can remember shouting that song before we were 20. But for all the quirky sweetness across the disc, it's the scary, hypnotic vulnerability of “Just a Thought” that sticks in your brain.
Nitsuh Abebe of Pitchfork says: “Imagine: Two guys fooling around with whatever sticks, musically, and yet here's Cee-Lo, sounding as convincing as possible in his best reverend soul-voice, writing serious and sincere about life. It's a joy, and in this context, where unselfconscious freshness can feel strangely hard to come by, it'll charm the hell out of a whole lot of people—whether or not it'll really stand up to more than a season's listening.”
Cat Power – “The Greatest “
Andy says: Based on the persistent purrs and religious recommendations of a few Cat Power fans, I decided to catch Chan Marshall backed by a full rhythm and blues band in a steamy tent on a Friday afternoon at Bonnaroo. Having only heard some slices and snippets over the years, I was generally an uninitiated explorer coming to check out what the fuss is all about. From the moment she started singing, though, that quickly changed, as her voice got under my skin and tickled my heart chakra. I began to cry and proceeded to weep gently but steadily for most of the show.
Raoul Hernandez of the Austin Chronicle says: “Recorded in Memphis with Al Green's rhythmic backbone, Mabon and Leroy Hodges, “The Greatest” is a groover and a grower, a neighborhood bar in a nowhere town where the jukebox only plays half-hearted regrets buoyed by boozy goodwill.”
My Morning Jacket – “Okonokos”
Andy says: For a band to sustain our intoxicated attention for an entire studio album―much less a two-disc live set or lengthy DVD―is no small accomplishment in the iPod age. But some listeners want more than three-minute morsels to add to the mix tape. My Morning Jacket blends classic rock perspiration with modern rock aspiration as though this were what they were born to do. Frankly, the mere idea that a live album has so much staying power is staggering testimony to the live act that produced it―a relentless touring ensemble that rigorously reinvents itself for more than two hours each night.
Snow Patrol – “Eyes Open”
Andy says: This album keeps growing in its addictive appeal, and thanks to a Grammy nomination and the durability of some radio-friendly tracks, such as the now ubiquitous “Chasing Cars” used to melodramatic effect on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the sold-out tour will continue into 2007.
Carrie says: Though the album as a whole felt too slickly produced for me, “Set Fire to the Third Bar,” the Patrol’s duet with angelic-voiced Martha Wainwright, was one of the most gorgeous and haunting songs I heard all year. A Snow Patrol concert has no bathroom break songs, no weak tunes and no pretension from a band just trying to sell its new album. Singer Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, keyboardist Tom Simpson and drummer Jonny Quinn love what they do, believe in what they do, know where they come from and love their fans.
Pearl Jam – “Pearl Jam”
Andy Strickland of Launch says: “Unfashionable as they probably are, Pearl Jam have gone some way to regaining both their fire and their relevance with this, a record that takes equally from classic Neil Young stylings as it does raging, polemic punk. The world rock landscape may well have changed a lot in the last six years, but there's a clear message here―don't kick out the Jam just yet.”
The Strokes —“First Impressions of Earth”
Carrie says: In March, The Strokes had New York City eating out of the palms of their hip and hooky hands. It was truly magical, with the entire crowd danced and sang at the top of their lungs the whole time, including Drew Barrymore and fellow “Charlie’s Angels” co-star Lucy Liu in the VIP section. Previously aloof on former tours and tough to connect with in the press, the band was visibly touched by the outpouring of emotion and support from their hometown fans. Bottom line: If you remotely like this band, you will love them in concert. The album was good too, notably hit single “Juicebox” (or, rather, “Juicy Juice”) and “Heart in a Cage.” Guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr.’s first solo effort, “Yours to Keep” is also phenomenal—look for its wider release in early 2007.
Tool — “10,000 Days”
Andy says: Tool should be listened to loudly—I prefer to feel them in my testes and toenails. Tool sounds amazing with the headphones on. At the end of the day, “10,000 Days” is still a Tool record, a sacred incision in the skin of the collective consciousness, insurrectionary incense for the ears, and a barrage of sonic stink bombs so entirely unique that the aural aroma will linger in your dreams for days.
Scissor Sisters — “Ta Dah”
Andy says: Outside the gay club scene, the Scissor Sisters have been embraced in the States by the eclectic and imprecise genre of alternative rock, a tent so massive that it can include punk and prog, goth and grunge, roots and rap. Somewhere inside this millennial mix tape mixer, a soothing soundscape emerges, shamelessly invoking everything from show-tunes to the epic rock and pop disco of the late '70s.
As for 2007, what anticipated releases are you most excited about? As of today, Andy's especially looking forward to new discs from Arcade Fire, Polyphonic Spree, and his Tennessee neighbors the Kings of Leon. Carrie can’t wait to get her paws on new releases by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, Interpol and Courtney Love.
2006.12
The entire journalistic genre of “Best of” lists is ubiquitous yet ambiguous and ridiculous at best. Who cares what records you wasted money buying or time downloading and actually loving this year?
But we do care—not so much about that bureaucratic labyrinth called the 'music industry' but about music itself. Admittedly, we sometimes care more about our always growing record collections than our daily caloric intake or job security. That’s just fine with us.
Compiling a ‘Best Of 2006’ list required many things: collecting receipts of records purchased since January 1st, 2006; repeated, careful, and unscientific scans of the general music discussion threads in the Interference.com message boards; surveys of the major rock magazines and critics and their end-of-the-year catalogs; late-night listening parties and plenary sessions with the spirit of Lester Bangs.
Understanding that list-mania can only go so far in ritually marking and mentioning the cultural magic embedded in the passing of the calendar year, we as staff writers and forum users at Interference.com do hereby submit our top 15 CDs of 2006 (in no particular order, of course). To help convey the mood of each record, we've noted our reactions to each of the best records—either written earlier when the discs came out, or this week, looking back on them. In some cases, we've also added quotes from a variety of critics to show how they responded to the records when they were released. Our greatest hope is that you will do with this what we on the staff do with similar lists—get inspired to listen to some new music.
Muse – “Black Holes and Revelations”
Andy says: Mix Radiohead with acid-prog and anti-war apocalypse lyrics inspired by reading David Icke conspiracy theory, and you begin to approximate the epic, awesome, seductive oddness that is Muse.
Carrie says: “Knights of Cydonia.” Enough said. My Chemical Romance wasn’t the only band to look to Queen for melodic influence this year with beguiling results.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Stadium Arcadium”
Andy says: Since the springtime release of “Stadium Arcadium,” Interference.com forum users went crazy for this fiercely rocking and dependably funky double album. One frequent poster announced early, “Yeah. I'm almost ready to declare it 'Album of the Year.'”
The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldiers”
Carrie says: These guys would be satisfied enough to play anywhere, be it a back porch in rural Kansas, a dingy subway station, or in the middle of Union Square. I sensed not a shred or hint of ego emanating from the hallowed stage of Roseland Ballroom (especially from rock superstar Jack White), only confidence, and The Raconteurs certainly have every right to feel confident these days. Power chord and '70s rock-pillaging criticism be damned—the Raconteurs have made this longtime White Stripes admirer a believer out of me.
Thom Yorke – “The Eraser”
Andy says: It sounds like Radiohead—except it's easier to get into the lyrics, as one friend of mine aptly observed. The whole dark, rainy, movie soundtrack of a record reels in and stakes out a sad hypnosis on your soul. But the revelations I keep returning to are so stuck in one song: “Atoms for Peace.” When Yorke sings, “No more talk about the old days /It's time for something great,” we desperately want to believe—no matter how hard it is to actually believe. So, with Thom, we pry and pray and “Peel all of your layers off” because we “want to eat your artichoke heart.”
The Decemberists – “The Crane Wife”
Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork says: “Winsomely balancing frivolity and gravity, the Decemberists assemble an oddball menagerie of the usual rogues and rascals, soldiers and criminals, lovers and baby butchers-- but they've got a lot more tricks up their sleeves than previous albums had hinted. “The Crane Wife” employs an impressive variety of styles and sounds to tell [Colin] Meloy's imaginative stories.”
The Killers – “Sam's Town”
Andy says: If we temporarily forget the odd facial hair and Anton Corbijn photos, the disc itself has musical and poetic depth, anchored in an intentionally mystical, yet earthy, flavor. Sure, the record has an intricate and over-produced sense of its own power, but not a throwaway track among the 12, and several simmer with stunning similes and sonic soul. With so many soothing hooks, addictive anthems and hypnotic hymns, the band deserves better than to have its sophomore sojourn savaged because of the young singer's loose and boastful tongue.
TV on the Radio – “Return to Cookie Mountain”
Andy says: SPIN calls it the best record of the waning year. It's impossible to describe this transcendent experiment—which is exactly why critics trade metaphors like contraband and approach such Blake-ian heights to describe it. People keep referring to TV on the Radio (TVOTR) as a collective as much as a band—in the old-school sense that the ensemble sees the art and the sound and the life as a greater cause, one that smashes genres, collapses assumptions, and gets close to utter, anarchic epiphany.
Gnarls Barkley – “St. Elsewhere”
Andy says: For what's essentially a pop record, this one has breadth and depth to burn. The Violent Femmes cover (“Gone Daddy Gone”) is defiantly delicious to those of us turning 40 who can remember shouting that song before we were 20. But for all the quirky sweetness across the disc, it's the scary, hypnotic vulnerability of “Just a Thought” that sticks in your brain.
Nitsuh Abebe of Pitchfork says: “Imagine: Two guys fooling around with whatever sticks, musically, and yet here's Cee-Lo, sounding as convincing as possible in his best reverend soul-voice, writing serious and sincere about life. It's a joy, and in this context, where unselfconscious freshness can feel strangely hard to come by, it'll charm the hell out of a whole lot of people—whether or not it'll really stand up to more than a season's listening.”
Cat Power – “The Greatest “
Andy says: Based on the persistent purrs and religious recommendations of a few Cat Power fans, I decided to catch Chan Marshall backed by a full rhythm and blues band in a steamy tent on a Friday afternoon at Bonnaroo. Having only heard some slices and snippets over the years, I was generally an uninitiated explorer coming to check out what the fuss is all about. From the moment she started singing, though, that quickly changed, as her voice got under my skin and tickled my heart chakra. I began to cry and proceeded to weep gently but steadily for most of the show.
Raoul Hernandez of the Austin Chronicle says: “Recorded in Memphis with Al Green's rhythmic backbone, Mabon and Leroy Hodges, “The Greatest” is a groover and a grower, a neighborhood bar in a nowhere town where the jukebox only plays half-hearted regrets buoyed by boozy goodwill.”
My Morning Jacket – “Okonokos”
Andy says: For a band to sustain our intoxicated attention for an entire studio album―much less a two-disc live set or lengthy DVD―is no small accomplishment in the iPod age. But some listeners want more than three-minute morsels to add to the mix tape. My Morning Jacket blends classic rock perspiration with modern rock aspiration as though this were what they were born to do. Frankly, the mere idea that a live album has so much staying power is staggering testimony to the live act that produced it―a relentless touring ensemble that rigorously reinvents itself for more than two hours each night.
Snow Patrol – “Eyes Open”
Andy says: This album keeps growing in its addictive appeal, and thanks to a Grammy nomination and the durability of some radio-friendly tracks, such as the now ubiquitous “Chasing Cars” used to melodramatic effect on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the sold-out tour will continue into 2007.
Carrie says: Though the album as a whole felt too slickly produced for me, “Set Fire to the Third Bar,” the Patrol’s duet with angelic-voiced Martha Wainwright, was one of the most gorgeous and haunting songs I heard all year. A Snow Patrol concert has no bathroom break songs, no weak tunes and no pretension from a band just trying to sell its new album. Singer Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, keyboardist Tom Simpson and drummer Jonny Quinn love what they do, believe in what they do, know where they come from and love their fans.
Pearl Jam – “Pearl Jam”
Andy Strickland of Launch says: “Unfashionable as they probably are, Pearl Jam have gone some way to regaining both their fire and their relevance with this, a record that takes equally from classic Neil Young stylings as it does raging, polemic punk. The world rock landscape may well have changed a lot in the last six years, but there's a clear message here―don't kick out the Jam just yet.”
The Strokes —“First Impressions of Earth”
Carrie says: In March, The Strokes had New York City eating out of the palms of their hip and hooky hands. It was truly magical, with the entire crowd danced and sang at the top of their lungs the whole time, including Drew Barrymore and fellow “Charlie’s Angels” co-star Lucy Liu in the VIP section. Previously aloof on former tours and tough to connect with in the press, the band was visibly touched by the outpouring of emotion and support from their hometown fans. Bottom line: If you remotely like this band, you will love them in concert. The album was good too, notably hit single “Juicebox” (or, rather, “Juicy Juice”) and “Heart in a Cage.” Guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr.’s first solo effort, “Yours to Keep” is also phenomenal—look for its wider release in early 2007.
Tool — “10,000 Days”
Andy says: Tool should be listened to loudly—I prefer to feel them in my testes and toenails. Tool sounds amazing with the headphones on. At the end of the day, “10,000 Days” is still a Tool record, a sacred incision in the skin of the collective consciousness, insurrectionary incense for the ears, and a barrage of sonic stink bombs so entirely unique that the aural aroma will linger in your dreams for days.
Scissor Sisters — “Ta Dah”
Andy says: Outside the gay club scene, the Scissor Sisters have been embraced in the States by the eclectic and imprecise genre of alternative rock, a tent so massive that it can include punk and prog, goth and grunge, roots and rap. Somewhere inside this millennial mix tape mixer, a soothing soundscape emerges, shamelessly invoking everything from show-tunes to the epic rock and pop disco of the late '70s.
As for 2007, what anticipated releases are you most excited about? As of today, Andy's especially looking forward to new discs from Arcade Fire, Polyphonic Spree, and his Tennessee neighbors the Kings of Leon. Carrie can’t wait to get her paws on new releases by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, Interpol and Courtney Love.
i have never been in here before!
